The Twist. Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.
The Twist
The Twist is a gallery, a bridge, and a sculpture, all in one. The 1000 square meter building twists into a sculptural form and spans 60 meters across the Randselva river. The building was designed by the Danish star architects BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and is cited as a "must-see" cultural destination by the New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Telegraph, amongst others.
Set in the middle of the Kistefos sculpture park, the 15,000-square-foot structure is already on the must-see list for art and architecture lovers everywhere.
Bloomberg
Beautiful showroom
In a harmonious interplay of woodland nature, The Twist is a very beautiful showroom with varied light sources and views of the river.
Kistefos is situated in Jevnaker, Norway, one hour north of Oslo. Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.
Wall becomes ceilings and ceiling turn into walls as the building twist into a sculptural form. Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.
Three galleries
The Twist has three showrooms; Closed Gallery, Twist Gallery, and Panorama Gallery. From the south side of the river, visitors enter through a dramatic double-height space into the Closed Gallery, with clear sightlines through the entire building to the north entrance. The Twist Gallery is, as its name suggests, the interior of the twist itself. In this section, ceilings become walls and walls turn into ceilings when the building turns 90 degrees. From the north end of the building, visitors enter the Panorama Gallery. Its large windows offer a view of the river and the surrounding landscape.
From the Panorama Gallery you have a view of the river and the surrounding area. Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.
An illusion of curves
Contrary to what the eye perceives, The Twist consists only of straight lines. The long aluminum and wood panels are twisted as in a deck of cards to form a fan shape. The illusion is that you see curves everywhere, but in reality everything is straight.
The deck effect creates an illusion of curves. Photo: Benjamin Ward.
The Twist takes a sculptural form crossing the Randselva river. Photo: Benjamin Ward.
Down under
A glass staircase leads down to the museum's lower level on the northern riverbank. The full-height glass wall brings the river below close and enhances the experience of being in the middle of nature. The toilets are decorated with art by Tony Oursler.
Toilet art by Tony Oursler. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.
The restroom. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.
As you descend the toilet room, you meet this man looking at you from the outside of the window. Points of View - Part 2 by Elmgreen & Dragset. Photo: Benjamin Ward.
How did the idea come about?
The idea of a new gallery building came up many years ago. There was a need for a bigger and more modern building that met the requirements of the site's ambition to showcase high-quality international art. Also, there was a need for a second bridge in the park, as the park had expanded downwards on both sides of the river. With a new bridge, the audience would be able to move in a natural circle, rather than in a less efficient U. The idea of merging these two needs into the same building came from the architects of BIG, and when the drawings were on the table we knew that time had come. It had to be The Twist.
The Twist now acts as a second bridge in the sculpture park, forming a continuous loop across both riverbanks.
The idea is that you make a round trip. You have to pass through the art exhibition, whatever it may be, to see the entire park. The new gallery knits the whole place together.
Owner Christen Sveaas
Illustration by Bjarke Ingels Group.
Complex sculpture in the river
The Twist is a very simple and beautiful design, while technically immensely complex to build. The fact that it built across a river also did not make the construction process easier. When the temporary support bridge in the river was removed for the first time, the building sank so much that the entire building had to be re-opened and all bolts had to be welded again.
The resultant form – complex yet simple – integrates as a newcomer among the sculptures of the park.
Awards and nominations
Following the opening, The Twist has been nominated for a number of awards and nominations:
- New York Times: 52 Places to go, number 21
- Leading Culture Destination Awards 2020: Shortlist, Best Architecture
- Designboom: Winner of TOP 10 museums and cultural venues of 2019
- Wallpaper*: Design Awards 2020: Best New Public Building, Shortlist
- Archdaily: Best Architectural Projects of 2019, Shortlist
- J.P.Morgans #Nextlist 2020
- Architectural Photography Awards 2019: Overall winner
- Dezeen: Number two at Top 10 museums and galleries of 2019
- Domus: Number three at Top 10 architecture projects of 2019
- Architectural Digest: 7 musées à l’architecture spectaculaire qui ont marqué 2019
- Architizer Popular Choice awards: Shortlisted for both Architecture + Engineering and Gallery & Exhibition Spaces.
The Twist has been named the most beautiful museum of the year and is referred to as a "must-see" destination. Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.
Inaugural exhibition
Together with Nybruket Galleri, The Twist will host varied exhibitions of world-renowned artists. The inaugural exhibition "Hodgkin and Creed - Inside Out" paired Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017) with Martin Creed (b.1968). It celebrated their conviction that art offers a framework through which we can express and come to terms with our complex emotional lives.
Pairing these artists offered a refreshing view of their work: The first exhibition conceived since his death, 'Hodgkin and Creed: Inside Out' takes us beyond a lyrical reading of Hodgkin's oeuvre and allowed us to reconsider it in the context of contemporary art practice. At the same time, it approached Creed's work through Hodgkin's expressionism, drawing out its essential emotional element.
The exhibition was curated by Guy Robertson and produced by Kistefos in collaboration with The Estate of Howard Hodgkin and Martin Creed. It brought together important works from public and private collections, including the Christen Sveaas Art Collection.
From the exhibition Hodgkin and Creed - Inside Out. Photo: Benjamin Ward.
From the exhibition Hodgkin and Creed - Inside Out. Photo: Einar Aslaksen.
From the exhibition Hodgkin and Creed - Inside Out. Photo: Benjamin Ward.
Check out the magical concert experience as artist Ruben holds an intimate concert in The Twist during this year's P3 Gold at NRK.
